by Michael T. Heath

Created on: August 30, 2011

Better Than Good

In a perfect world, gasoline would be about $2 a gallon, we wouldn't worry about any more terrorist attacks or inflation or how we'll keep paying that mortgage next year. But those things keep intruding upon our perfect world - like the current crop of Republican candidates for president keep tromping across our news every day. First it's Michelle Bachmann praying for Hurricane Irene to 'purge this nation's sins' - I'm sure she didn't mean the couple dozen people who died during the storm as representatives of our collective guilt. Then it would be Governor Rick Perry's turn to tell us that Social Security is a sham - a ponzi scheme designed to rob today's youth of their money and never give them a dime when they get to retirement age. Perhaps it will be Mitt Romney repudiating his health care program as nothing like the national one which was, indeed, partly based upon it's successful structure.

Far less ink and television time has been devoted to Jon Huntsman, former ambassador to China and former governor of Utah. Although his family is incredibly wealthy (having invented egg cartons and the clam-shell packaging ubiquitous to fast-food restaurants), Mr Huntsman needn't work another day in his life except to go down to the bank and draw out wads of cash (or gold, if he felt like it). That he is seeking the highest office shows a bit of character in and of itself, beyond the public service he has already treated us to. Jon Huntsman seems unique in many ways, not least of which is his forthright stance at the onset not to personally attack either President Obama or his GOP opponents. He is alone in the wilderness on that, however, as every other candidate for the job has been trying to rattle the President with derisive attacks on his policies and pseudo-moralistic attacks on his patriotism, birthplace and ethnicity. Not-so-subtle hints about how Texans would treat an Obama appointee veered uncomfortably close to lynching, one day, while other candidates sputter incoherently on climate change, women's and gay rights and the very legitimacy of the federal government itself. 

Mr Huntsman doesn't need theatrics to say what he's got to offer. His plans for government don't include shutting it down, or closing the EPA or IRS. His sensible suggestions for spending cuts, enhanced revenue and modest government spending is a solo voice in the wilderness. Too bad this is the year for far-right extremists: a sensible man like Huntsman would give Obama a run for his money and could hold his own in any national debate to come. Jon Huntsman will not win the nomination this time around, and that is an unfortunate thing for Republicans.

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